The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, first opened in 2016, is a 100 billion dollar multilateral development bank purpose-built to support infrastructure projects that enhance regional economic productivity.

Its arms reach far: in its first two years, AIIB has financed transport systems such as national motorways in Pakistan, railways in Oman, and rural roads in India; energy projects including natural gas pipelines in Azerbaijan and hydropower plants in Tajikistan; and the redevelopment of impoverished areas in Indonesia. Initiated by China, its membership is global, with regional powers from Korea to Saudi Arabia, and key players from Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

In a text that will appeal to general readers and legal specialists alike, Natalie Lichtenstein examines the Bank's mandate, investment operations, finance, governance, and institutional set up, as well as providing detailed analyses of the similarities and differences it has with other development banks - charting AIIB's story so far and anticipating its future.